The letter, which is signed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), expresses concern that handset exclusivity arrangements may be anti-competitive and reducing consumer choice in the marketplace.

Since the iPhone's introduction in 2007, several handset makers have tried to emulate the popularity of Apple's device by offering exclusivity deals of their own. Two recent examples include the Palm Pre, currently on Sprint's Now Network, and T-Mobile's G1, the first Android-powered handset.

This story, "Will the feds force Apple to break up with AT&T?" was originally published by
PCWorld.

Ian is an independent writer based in Tel Aviv, Israel. His current focus is on all things tech including mobile devices, desktop and laptop computers, software, social networks, Web apps, tech-related legislation and corporate tech news.